Possible Upgrade?

[Saint12661]

I currently have a Marantz PM6005 amp, a Marantz CD6005, a Rega RP3 and a pair of B&W 685 S2 speakers. I now have first refusal on an Audiolab 8200CD and an Arcam A19 amp and was wondering if this combination would be poles apart quality wise from my existing set up. Unfortunately I don't have the chance to home trial the items so just hoping to get a few opinions on here please.

Cheers

Pete.

 

[Al ears]

I currently have a Marantz PM6005 amp, a Marantz CD6005, a Rega RP3 and a pair of B&W 685 S2 speakers. I now have first refusal on an Audiolab 8200CD and an Arcam A19 amp and was wondering if this combination would be poles apart quality wise from my existing set up. Unfortunately I don't have the chance to home trial the items so just hoping to get a few opinions on here please.

Cheers

Pete.

I would say the Arcam amp will offer a different presentation to the Marantz and the phono stage is probably better than the Marantz, so I'd go for it.

Regards the CDP's it's a difficult choice, I would stick with what you have there.

 

[Saint12661]

Interesting point you make of "if you like that sound" as I've always found it difficult to describe sound, other than in my opinion my KEF speakers from the 1970's gave s warm sound and that a lot now are more clinical, although I dare say that other people would use different words to clinical? On this basis I'm assuming that my current Amp/CD combination is producing a warm sound and that the A19 Arcam may be more clinical? As for music tastes that is extremely varied from rock to jazz but one thing I don't crave is excessive bass and therefore favour clarity if this makes sense?

 

[BigH]

I currently have a Marantz PM6005 amp, a Marantz CD6005, a Rega RP3 and a pair of B&W 685 S2 speakers. I now have first refusal on an Audiolab 8200CD and an Arcam A19 amp and was wondering if this combination would be poles apart quality wise from my existing set up. Unfortunately I don't have the chance to home trial the items so just hoping to get a few opinions on here please.

Cheers

Pete.

I would say the Arcam amp will offer a different presentation to the Marantz and the phono stage is probably better than the Marantz, so I'd go for it.

Regards the CDP's it's a difficult choice, I would stick with what you have there.

I tend to agree, cd players I don't find make a huge difference. The Arcam A19 is good if you like that sort of sound. What sort of music do you play?

 

[BigH]

I would consider the Marantz 8005, now only £580 new. If you can hear it and the Arcam together that would be the best thing. I'm not sure about Arcam and B&W together, many suggest Rotel with B&W. In fact I would say the speakers are probably the weakest part and if you do get a new amp. I would be looking to upgrade them soon, so I would not be tying myself to an amp. just for the B&W 685.

 

[BigH]

Duplicate again what is going on?

 

[Saint12661]

Hi, thanks for your feedback.

I note that the 8005 is an SACD player but is this still an improvement over my existing Marantz player if you were to take away the SACD feature and just use it as a normal CD player?

 

[Al ears]

Hi, thanks for your feedback.

I note that the 8005 is an SACD player but is this still an improvement over my existing Marantz player if you were to take away the SACD feature and just use it as a normal CD player?

It has a better dac and power supply however whether it will sound vastly different is debatable, you'll have to audition. The SACD facility may be handy in the future.

 

[BigH]

Hi, thanks for your feedback.

I note that the 8005 is an SACD player but is this still an improvement over my existing Marantz player if you were to take away the SACD feature and just use it as a normal CD player?

Yes the transport, clock and Dac should all be better quality, however the difference could be subtle, although one person on here who upgraded said there was a big difference.

 

[Chris Munden]

Here is my two penneth, for what its worth, I have a pair of B&W 685 S2 speakers, I have two switchable amps, A Arcam Solo and a new 40w Mitchel & Johnson, Through the Arcam music is very faithfully reproduced if not a tad too clinical and 'dry' for my taste but that varies from recording to recording.

Through the Mitchel & Johnson which is really only a budget amp, the music seems to come alive with more musicality, or put it another way, it seems to flow along in a jingly sort of way, I know, poor description but I prefer it to the Arcam when the Rega P3 is supplying the music cource. Still all things are subjective so I only speak as I find. I mainly now use the Arcam for CD and tape

Peter